A cool evening breeze drifted into the room through the open floor-to-ceiling window, causing the gray-blue curtains to sway gently. The aroma of food in the air grew even richer.
Qiao Ling sat down at the coffee table, poured a glass of water, and smiled casually as she asked, “Did you figure out what dishes they are?”
“Of course! How could I mistake the things you love to eat?” Yu Wanli proudly lifted her chin.
The next second, her body trembled, and she let out a yelp, “Ow! It hurts, it hurts! Uncle! Be gentler, please!”
“Sorry.” Lu Jiang immediately withdrew the tweezers, looked up to see tears welling in her eyes, pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, then leaned closer to her palm and gently blew on it.
Yu Wanli, “…?”
Once the pain in her fingers subsided, her mind began to wander.
Looking at this mature man in a suit, with delicate features, carefully blowing on her fingertips, Yu Wanli wondered if he might have feelings for her.
Not that she was being narcissistic! She had plenty of confidence in her own beauty!
No! This wouldn’t do!
……
Nearby.
Qiao Ling watched her nod and shake her head alternately, then helplessly flicked her forehead with a finger. “What are you daydreaming about? Does your hand not hurt anymore?”
“Who’s daydreaming!” Yu Wanli pouted and gestured toward Lu Jiang.
Qiao Ling raised an eyebrow, smiled silently, picked up her glass, and walked out to the balcony.
The nightscape of Shengjing was dazzlingly vibrant. From this height, the entire city seemed to be studded with gold and silver beads, with neon lights flickering in a dreamlike haze. A crescent moon hung in the boundless night sky, dotted with stars, creating a scene that felt both real and illusory.
The reflections of towering buildings on both banks shimmered on the surface of the Sanjiang River, while several cruise ships crisscrossed the glittering waters.
Qiao Ling leaned her arms on the railing, gently swirling the glass in her hand. Her long, curly hair danced gracefully in the wind, and her slender, milky-white calves peeked in and out from beneath her swaying skirt.
The view before her was refreshing and soothing, easing the faint throbbing in her head.
In the living room.
Yu Wanli tilted her body, craned her neck to admire Qiao Ling’s captivating silhouette, licked her lips, and murmured softly, “She must be thinking of someone after seeing the food! This is what they call… thinking of someone through the dishes!”
Lu Jiang, who overheard these words, “……”
After quickly and carefully tending to the wound, Lu Jiang hastily packed up the medical kit, stood up, and said gently, “Miss Yu, please avoid getting your hand wet for the next few days. It’s not easy for a lost nail to heal quickly. I’ll come back at this time tomorrow to change the dressing.”
As he spoke, he took out two boxes of medicine and a business card, placing them on the table. “If the pain becomes severe at night, take a painkiller. Also, take an anti-inflammatory pill after dinner. And feel free to call me anytime if you need anything.”
“Alright, thank you, Uncle.” Yu Wanli didn’t bother to stand up, leaning back instead and waving her unevenly bandaged fingers at him.
Lu Jiang smiled slightly, bid farewell to Qiao Ling, and then left.
The door closed.
Qiao Ling leaned against the glass railing, facing the living room, and squinted at the ornate, brightly lit crystal chandelier hanging in the air.
“Hey, Lingling, are you still standing there pondering life? Come and eat.” Yu Wanli was never one to sit still. In just a short while, she had shifted positions again—head facing outward, arms stretched overhead, feet propped against the wall, inching her way toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
A moment later.Qiao Ling responded, walking into the living room and tilting her head to look at her. The girl was wearing a black spaghetti-strap nightgown with a light outer robe draped over it. Because of her “upside-down” posture, the hem of the gown had slipped up, revealing two long, pale legs. Though her face was slightly swollen, her eyes were red from crying earlier, which not only made her look alluring but also evoked an overwhelming urge to protect her.
Recalling Lu Jiang’s movements as he changed her dressing, Qiao Ling lowered her long lashes and shifted her gaze to the blue-and-white business card on the coffee table.
It had to be said, a mature and charismatic man like Lu Jiang was exactly Yu Wanli’s type.
“Hey! Hey, hey! What are you thinking about, sweetie?” Seeing her gaze, Yu Wanli lowered her legs, got up from the sofa, and walked over to her. She wrapped an arm around Qiao Ling’s shoulder, her voice slightly hoarse as she raised her tone, “Ling Ling! I was just joking with you earlier. It’s mainly because Lu Jiang’s actions were so… you know!”
“This wealthy lady has seven great commandments and holds herself to strict standards!”
As the two walked toward the dining room, Yu Wanli recited solemnly:
“No touching men! No crying over men! No heartbreak over men! No degrading oneself for men…”
By the time she finished speaking, they had already reached the dining room. Not only was the table laden with sumptuous dishes, but the two delivery staff had thoughtfully set out the bowls and chopsticks.
Yu Wanli paused mid-sentence, released Qiao Ling’s shoulder, and slid into a chair. Awkwardly picking up a spoon, she scooped a mouthful of crab congee and took a sip. With a contented sigh, she exclaimed, “Delicious congee! Truly delicious! The familiar taste! The familiar recipe!”
“Ever since Brother Jinyue went abroad, I haven’t had such authentic crab congee! Sweetie, today I’m blessed because of you!”
A flicker of light passed through Qiao Ling’s bright almond-shaped eyes, and a trace of amusement flashed within them, though her delicate face remained expressionless. “You like it? I’ll hire a chef for you tomorrow.”
“I don’t want any other chef, sweetie. Can you poach the chef from Brother Jinyue’s house?” Yu Wanli blinked her charming fox-like eyes, looking at her expectantly.
Qiao Ling, “……”
“No.”
With that, she picked up a piece of fish and stuffed it into Yu Wanli’s mouth, silencing her incessant chatter.
But it wasn’t long before Yu Wanli swallowed the food and spoke again. Wisely avoiding the topic of the meal, she said, “I haven’t finished reciting my seven great commandments! Where was I?”
“The fourth commandment: no degrading oneself for men,” Qiao Ling reminded her flatly.
Yu Wanli let out an “oh” and continued:
“Fifth! No spending money on men!”
“Sixth! No wasting time on men!”
“Seventh! The last one, and the most important! Never abandon your best friend for a man!”
“If I break any of these commandments this year, sweetie, you can…”
Qiao Ling’s brow twitched as she cut her off, “I’ll throw you off the Sanjiang Bridge. Now, shut up and eat. If you say another word, you’ll be sleeping in the hallway tonight.”
The soft orange light in the dining room spilled over the girl’s strikingly beautiful yet cool and detached face. Her dark, round pupils sparkled with tiny flecks of light, and her thick, long lashes cast delicate shadows. The slight curve of her red lips held a faint but unmistakable smile. The ends of her ponytail, tied loosely at the back of her head, casually draped over her elegantly shaped collarbone. Her skin was as smooth and flawless as fine jade, every detail exquisite and perfect, like a breathtakingly beautiful oil painting.Yu Wanli fell silent, twenty percent because she was threatened, and the remaining eighty percent because she was utterly dazzled!
It was hard to imagine that there could be such a perfect person in this world!
Brother Jinyue had said that beauty was the least remarkable of Lingling’s virtues.
She still remembered the focused, gentle, and subtly infatuated expression on Brother Jinyue’s face when he said those words.
Of course, she wholeheartedly agreed with that statement—otherwise, she wouldn’t have engraved it in her heart.
After dinner.
Qiao Ling finished taking care of Yu Wanli and returned to her room to freshen up. When she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw an extra person on the bed.
“Sweetie, let’s sleep together tonight,” Yu Wanli said, sitting cross-legged with a bottle of juice and a straw between her legs. Seeing Qiao Ling come out, she raised a finger to lower the volume of the television slightly.
Qiao Ling didn’t refuse. While drying her hair, she asked, “Haven’t you turned your phone on yet?”
“No! Xing Hui is watching me like a mad dog—she’s so annoying!” Yu Wanli let out a slightly irritated sigh, then suddenly realized something. “Did Yu Gaohan call you?”
Qiao Ling hummed in agreement, unlocked her phone, and tossed it to Yu Wanli. “Grandma Yu called too. Use my phone to call her back so she doesn’t worry.”
“Alright.” Yu Wanli picked up the phone, opened the contacts, found the familiar number, and dialed.
Qiao Ling tactfully stepped away, heading to Yu Wanli’s room to find a gaming console.
The sisters’ rooms shared the same style—a minimalist design in cool tones. Notably, Yu Wanli had later installed a wine cabinet in each of their rooms, filled with fine wines. Placed beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the cabinets were conveniently located in the bedrooms for easy access when they wanted a drink.
Chi Nian wasn’t wrong to call Yu Wanli a wine enthusiast, but in truth, Qiao Ling was one too.
They loved the feeling of seeing the world through slightly blurred eyes when tipsy—just the right amount, never overindulging. It wasn’t the excessive calmness of sobriety or the reckless abandon of drunkenness. The burdens weighing on their hearts were forgotten, and they could smile at everything, feeling as though the world had become gentle.
Come to think of it, the two sisters shared similar personalities and hobbies.
Dancing, racing, skiing, skydiving, boxing…
No matter what they did, it seemed someone was always by their side.
After finding the gaming console, Qiao Ling sat in Yu Wanli’s room and played for a while, returning to her own bedroom twenty minutes later.
By then.
Yu Wanli had finished her call and was crouching beside the television, watching the row of ever-changing holographic butterflies.
Qiao Ling leaned against the headboard and started a new game.
The lights in the bedroom were off, leaving only the soft glow from the television and the row of holographic butterflies. A gentle breeze occasionally drifted in through the slightly open window, creating an exceptionally cozy atmosphere.
After a long while.
Having had her fill of the butterflies, Yu Wanli climbed onto the bed and nestled against Qiao Ling like a cat, her voice soft as she said, “Lingling, come with me to visit my mom the day after tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.” Qiao Ling glanced at her, set aside the gaming console, and selected a horror movie.
An eerie melody began to play from the television.
Yu Wanli propped herself up and leaned against Qiao Ling, watching intently.
Her mother, Luo Chunya.
Yu Gaohan’s first wife, who had chosen to divorce without hesitation and take Yu Wanli with her after Yu Gaohan’s affair and the mistress showing up at their doorstep. But who could have imagined that Xing Hui would be so cruel as to want her mother’s life?A deliberately orchestrated car accident left her mother permanently bedridden, mentally confused, with a lower body amputation and chest injuries. Her condition worsened day by day, and the doctor said she needed to be mentally prepared for her mother’s passing at any moment.
She didn’t want to return to the Yu family, but to find evidence, she had to go back.
Qiao Ling noticed her sudden shift in mood, her gaze darkening slightly.
As the night deepened, aside from the eerie sounds from the television in the bedroom, no other noises broke the silence.
Neither of them felt sleepy.
Qiao Ling had long put down her game console and was watching the movie with her, her fingers tapping idly on the back of her phone. Suddenly, she remembered something.
Picking up her phone, she opened WeChat and clicked on the friend with the pure black avatar who had several unread messages. She sent the first message in three years:
lame: 【Dinner, thanks.】
It was already past midnight, and Qiao Ling didn’t expect a reply. Unexpectedly, he responded instantly:
9: 【They’ll deliver it every day from now on】
9: 【Still so formal with your thanks】
Though his reply was brief and lacked even two punctuation marks, Qiao Ling could already picture his smiling, affectionate eyes in her mind.
A slight smile touched her lips as she typed, 【Does your mouth still hurt, brother?】 But as her finger hovered over the send button, she suppressed the smile, deleted the words, closed their chat window, and set her phone aside without a second thought.
Qinshan Mansion.
In the dimly lit studio, a lamp glowed in the corner, illuminating an unfinished oil painting on the easel. From the content of the painting, it was clear that the girl in it was sitting on a black table, her long skirt half-slipped, her delicate chest partially exposed, her fair neck slightly tilted, and her red lips slightly parted. Her cool, refined features were tinged with a mesmerizing allure.
Zhou Jinyue sat before the easel, the sleeves of his black silk shirt rolled halfway up. His right hand, pale and slender, tightly gripped a black phone, the veins on his arm prominent. In his left hand, he held a sable brush stained with red paint.
His deep, shadowed eyes fixed possessively on the girl in the painting. With a slight movement of his left hand, the tip of the brush added a touch of red to the slightly parted lips of the girl in the painting, making them instantly more moist and enticing.
The cool evening breeze stirred the ethereal curtains hanging by the window and rustled the corner of the thick stack of papers on the long table.
Faintly, the girl’s playful smiles, anger, and allure were all captured in the painting.
…
Ziyuan.
The horror movie on the television played on repeat throughout the night. On the soft gray bed, the two girls had fallen into a deep sleep.
Outside the window, dawn gradually broke, and golden light filtered through a narrow gap in the curtains, slanting across the carpet in the room.
Evening.
Qiao Ling slowly woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she glanced at the side of the bed. Checking the time, she saw it was already six o’clock.
Turning off the television, she yawned and got out of bed.
After a quick wash, she emerged from the bathroom to find Yu Wanli already awake.
Qiao Ling asked her, “What do you want for dinner?”
“Crab porridge!” Yu Wanli licked her lips, savoring the thought, then flipped over, jumped off the bed, and hurried to the bathroom.
Qiao Ling shook her head with a smile, turned on the light, and drew open the curtains.
The television in the living room was on.
Qiao Ling ordered crab porridge for delivery when suddenly the doorbell rang.
“Who could it be at this hour? Could it be those two siblings from the Qiao Family again?” Yu Wanli frowned, muttering as she walked over and glanced at the indoor surveillance monitor.Opening the door, a face both familiar and unfamiliar came into view.
It was Chi Nian…
Yu Wanli looked at the face before her, bruised and swollen almost beyond recognition, blinked, then rushed forward in a flash. Covering her mouth in surprise, she circled around him, exclaiming, “Oh my! Oh my, oh my! What happened? Did someone beat you up, you rich jerk?”